Slade's Revenge
by ALifeOfFiction000
Summary: Oliver has been convinced that Slade will come after Sara and so he has devoted all his time into protecting her, but Slade has taken more interest in the blonde IT girl Oliver seems to keep at arm's length. Oliver will finally have to face exactly how much Felicity means to him as he fights to save her, and Slade will do anything to make him suffer.
1. Chapter 1

"Felicity!" Oliver's voice echoed throughout the large room, a tone of irritation unmistakable as he placed his bow back into the glass case. "We were so close, so what happened? How could you think he was headed north when he was going south? You sent us in the opposite direction!"

"Oliver, calm down. We didn't even have a plan-" Sara tried to reason, grabbing onto his arm.

"That's not the point, Sara," he said slowly, pushing her hand away from him. "This is Slade. Any chance we get to take him out we have to take, and we can't afford mistakes like this."

"You can't honestly blame me every time something goes wrong. This is technology, Oliver, and in case you didn't realize it, technology can be extremely unreliable, especially if compromised. I got a strong signal that he was headed north so that's what I reported. It must have been tampered with or something." Felicity got out of her seat and faced Oliver as he lowered his hood, his eyes as dark as his mask. She crossed her arms defensively and tried to remind herself that he was under a lot of stress, but more importantly he was scared, no matter how much he tried to cover it with anger. This wasn't the first time he misdirected his frustration at her, so she prepared herself for the worst of the storm and prayed it would pass quickly.

"Every day he is out there the people I care for are in danger. What if that was our only chance to prevent something-"

"Hey, there will be more chances, ok? And next time we'll be better prepared." Felicity watched as Diggle walked in behind Sara and looked between Oliver and Felicity, catching himself up on the situation based off of their body language.

"Well I would hope so because if we face him with the same kind of organization we had tonight, we're all dead."

"Oliver, we know what we're up against, and we knew tonight was a long shot. There wasn't anything we could have done to beat him. Tonight just wasn't the right time." Diggle firmly placed his hand on Oliver's shoulder and looked from him, to Sara, to Felicity. "I think we just all need to get some rest and start again tomorrow. Our nerves are a little shot and now isn't the time to be lashing out at each other. It will only make us more vulnerable to him, okay? We have to stick together, right?" Oliver closed his eyes and nodded, patting Diggle on the arm. Felicity relaxed and sat back down, spinning around to face her computers and letting out a deep sigh.

"I'm going to head out. Sara, why don't you stay with me tonight, that way I can make sure he doesn't try anything tonight. I'd sleep better if I knew he couldn't get to you."

"Yeah, of course. I'll meet you upstairs," Sara agreed, smiling in response to his softer voice, the threatening edge now gone. "Night Felicity, Diggle. Keep safe." Felicity and Diggle both quickly smiled and waved as she left. Felicity turned back towards the computer and looked at the map, wondering how the signal could have been so wrong. Focused on her own thoughts she didn't notice that Oliver had approached her and knelt by her chair, placing his hand gently on her arm and turning her towards him.

"I'm sorry, Felicity. I know it wasn't your fault, I'm just—worried. You okay?" She slightly moved into his touch, comfortable again with the concern in his voice and his gentleness. She would never admit it, but she'd always get a little scared when he'd raise his voice at her, despite her knowing that he would never hurt her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I know tensions are high right now, don't worry about it. Just go get some rest. Diggle was right, we could all use some right now. When was the last time any of us actually slept anyway?" She shrugged slightly and moved back towards the screens, but his arm stopped her and she was once again facing him. He started to stand up but his hand remained on her arm, letting go after a light, reassuring squeeze.

"I could never be angry at you, Felicity. I hope you know that."

"Mhm." She nodded slowly and her heart sank once she lost that contact, hearing him walking away. Walking away from her and to another woman, one he couldn't help but care about a little more. But she couldn't think like that; things were different between Oliver and Sara. They were just more alike, shared a deeper kind of bond, one that she could never rival as she would never be able to fight alongside him. As long as she needed protecting, she would always be a risk he couldn't take.

"Hey, you want me to walk you home?" she heard Diggle ask from across the room. "I'm headed out now."

"No, it's fine. I'm probably going to stay here, clean up some of these programs and try to find what went wrong. But thanks, I appreciate the concern." She knew she was lucky to have Diggle, someone who always stayed behind and made sure she was taken care of in the midst of all the distractions. Sometimes he was the only reason she didn't feel completely neglected.

"Don't stay too long. You need a break too, Felicity." He started to walk away but stopped for a moment, looking back at the IT girl. "Make sure you lock your doors, and walk in well-lit areas when you head out. And remember, you can call any one of us if you need help, or even if you're just scared. We have to stick together, you know?"

"You worry about me too much. In case you forgot, I learned some pretty effective defensive techniques from the best. Anyway, I don't live too far away, and I've got Team Arrow on speed dial." She waved her phone in the air and continued her work, hearing Diggle's last footsteps and then finding herself in complete solitude. "It's a little eerie, I must admit," she whispered to herself, looking behind her a few times before continuing her investigation. "So where did that signal go?" she said, drumming her fingers on her keyboard, waiting to get a better connection. As she watched the faint dot, waiting for it to light up, her eyelids became heavy and she rested her head back on the chair.

She woke to an indistinguishable sound, her heart beating quickly due to the abrupt arousal. She checked her phone and realized it had just been an hour, figuring it was probably time to go home. She gathered her things and walked quickly towards the stairs, trying to ignore the question of what had caused the noise that woke her. As she went to turn out the light a loud beeping noise starting sounding from the computer, indicating that the signal had picked back up. She rushed to the monitor and observed the location the bright, red dot had stopped at.

"That doesn't make sense though, how could it-" her heart stopped as she zoomed into the location, her hands shaking as she grabbed her phone to call Oliver. She placed the phone to her ear, studying the image on her screen as the dot continued to blink. "Pick up, pick up. Oliver…" Suddenly the beeping stopped and the dot went dull again. The ringing continued in her ear but the sound of her heart suddenly seemed to be louder. She watched as the screens flickered and went black, then noticing that the ringing in her ear had stopped. She pulled her phone back to find it was dead too.

"_Ow_," Felicity moaned, touching the back of her neck upon feeling a light prick. She slowly sat down as she began to lose her balance, and her body became so heavy and useless that she was unable to react when a dark-haired man approached and knelt in front of her, holding both of her wrists firmly and smiling, his one eye meeting hers.

"It's so nice to meet you, Felicity."

**Let me know what you think of Chapter 1. Hopefully I'll be able to write the next chapter pretty quickly, but no promises... Anyway, I hope the writing was believable! I tried very hard to keep everyone in character. **


	2. Chapter 2

Oliver and Diggle were the first to arrive the next morning, Sara having stopped at the bar to help Thea with inventory for that night. Oliver and Sara had been side by side ever since Slade's arrival, and moments of separation were quietly welcomed. As Oliver settled in and inspected his arrows, there was a moment when he couldn't help but feel the familiar normalcy of a time before Sara had returned, before he knew Slade was alive, before Laurel's addiction—a time when it was just the three of them attacking a new task every night, not caught up in saving a friend or mending a friendship. He tried to ignore the thought that maybe he liked that time better, as with the thought he immediately felt guilty remembering the time when he had come to terms with Sara's death. When maybe for a moment the girl at the computer had managed to distract him from the guilt that tied him to the island, one he was now facing with no hope of escape.

"Hey Diggle, you left after me last night. Did Felicity seem—okay? I know I didn't handle things perfectly last night, but it isn't like her to be late." Oliver remained focused on his arrows, avoiding Diggle's understanding gaze as he sensed the regret in his friend's tone.

"She seemed like her usual self to me. You know, her casual joking in response to serious situations and all. I told her to be careful on her way home, but she's convinced I'm paranoid. Who knows, she was still here when I left. Maybe she got home late and overslept." Oliver nodded his head in agreement, brushing off the nervous feeling Felicity's absence caused him.

"Well maybe we should call her." Oliver pulled out his phone and dialed her number, casually waiting for her to pick up while maintaining focus. However, his concentration broke when he heard the familiar ringtone coming from a few feet away. Diggle rushed over to Felicity's usual spot and slowly picked up her phone, Oliver dropping his phone on the table and approaching quickly to take the phone from Diggle. "She forgot her phone? That isn't like her, you know that."

"Well why don't you keep an eye on Sara and I'll run by her place, make sure she's there." Diggle started to move past Oliver but he put his arm out and stopped him, battling a confused look on his face as he thought for a moment.

"I'll go check. Just tell Sara where I went if she asks. I'll call you when I know more." Oliver grabbed his coat and rushed out, pulling the coat around him when he got outside. He mixed in with the crowded sidewalks and rushed in the direction of Felicity's apartment. The only times he had been to her apartment were the few occasions when the two of them would be working late and he would insist to walk her home. His face hardened as he realized it had been awhile since he had accompanied her; actually, he figured it had been since Sara's arrival. He started to realize that maybe he had been neglecting her, figuring maybe that's why he had noticed Diggle spending more time with her lately. He was making up for Oliver's absence and his lack of attention towards her. The sense of nervousness returned and nearly made Oliver sick, but he tried to ignore it as he quickened his pace.

He bumped forcefully into a man moving in the opposite direction, nearly knocking him into the ground. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention-" Oliver moved to help steady the man, but upon seeing his face he readjusted his grip and pulled the man closer.

"I've noticed. You really should pay more attention. You might just miss something. And this being a game, Oliver, you should really keep an eye on all your pieces."

"This isn't a game Slade. And I'm prepared for anything you have planned." Oliver pulled a knife and held it against Slade's stomach, uneasy that Slade didn't try to move away.

"Well, I hope you don't need help with your computers because it seems like you may be on your own there. And might I add that I'm disappointed that you didn't teach the poor girl better defense after she's been on that little team of yours so long. Maybe I overestimated how much you care-"

"Where is she Slade? She has nothing to do with this and you know it. I swear if you hurt her in anyway-"

"Ah, there it is. You do care, don't you? Well, you were foolish to assume I'd go after Sara when you refused to leave her side. Anyway, this seems a little more appropriate, don't you think? Might draw out a little more pain, a little more _desperation_ with someone who is completely innocent." Oliver pulled the knife away and looked at Slade, trying to remain calm for just a few more minutes.

"What do you want?" Slade quietly chuckled then regained a stern composure, leaning in close and emphasizing every word.

"I want you to feel my pain, Oliver. I want you to understand. And when this is all over, I want to kill you." Suddenly Slade was back in the crowd and Oliver couldn't even detect which direction he had gone. He moved quickly to get his phone and call Diggle, catching him up on the situation. He checked Felicity's apartment before heading back to meet up with Diggle and Sara, but he found that Sara's presence only upset him. As he was lying at Sara's side all night, worrying whether she would be there in the morning, he had left Felicity alone and she had been taken. He had messed up, and he wasn't sure this was something he would be able to fix.

"We'll get her back. She's tough, she'll be fine," Diggle tried to convince them, but even he seemed to let the words fade away without consideration.

"You don't know what he's capable of. You don't know what he's willing to do. We have to get to her before he hurts her. I can't let him hurt her." Oliver dropped his head into his hands, unsure where to even start. He needed Felicity's help, but he had no idea where she was, and he didn't even know where to start. He was lost and he needed her, but more importantly she needed him. She was about to wake up to a horrible nightmare, a nightmare that he had lived back on the island. One he could never forget, and now one he could never forgive.

**So don't get used to this quick update. I had some extra time, but the next update will probably take a little longer. This chapter wasn't too eventful, but it was necessary, you know. Well, now that most everything has been set up we may get to the interesting part. YAY! I hope everyone is still in character, I felt like it was harder to do here. Also, I hope you realize I'm trying to set this story up like an actual episode, so that may explain why it's not moving very quickly right now. Patience :) Well, thanks for the positive feedback on the first chapter, it was very encouraging. If you have time please review. Thanks again!**


	3. Chapter 3

She felt tired, her head carrying a dull pain that seemed to limit her movements and even her thoughts. She found it hard to focus, and although a part of her mind tried to grasp a sense of urgency, she also found it hard to react in any way. She didn't feel scared or anxious, but rather she just felt confused. As some of the fog cleared in her head she remembered the prick she felt before losing consciousness, and she realized her current state was drug-induced. But she remembered that she had never spotted her attacker, so now she was left wondering where she was, who brought her here, and why. She only hoped the heaviness of the drug would wear off so her mind could finally work at full capacity.

"You took longer to wake than I expected. For a moment I thought I had given you too much." Felicity's heart raced as she recognized fear breaking through the haze, hearing a low, rough voice but unsure where it was from. She shut her eyes forcefully then opened them again, trying to see who else was in the room with her. As her vision came together into one image, she realized she was surrounded by metal bars, sitting in the corner of what appeared to be something similar to a jail cell. The bars were dark and rusty and other cells bordered hers. She was able to make out a figure approaching, and as he got closer she tried to push herself farther into the corner, the bars pressed painfully against her back.

"Who are you?" she whispered, trying to focus on his face to determine if she recognized him as one of the bad guys Oliver had taken down before. Although she didn't recognize him as one of these guys, something about him seemed very familiar.

"Well I'm the man who has Oliver scrambling to protect all his loved ones. But I'm curious—did he forget about you? He was so _sure_ that I would go after Sara, but taking Sara was so obvious. I needed to find someone he cared about in a different way, you know? Someone who wasn't involved with the island, someone completely innocent of all the things that happened there." He slowly opened the door and crouched in front of Felicity, reaching out and harshly grabbing her chin as he observed her face. There was no way she could move away from him as she was already cornered, and when she tried to shake her head free his grip only got tighter. "And I found you."

* * *

"I found a property he bought recently—looks like an old building. Do you think he would have taken her there?" Sara asked, looking up at Oliver who was angrily pacing in front of her.

"No, he's more clever than that. It wouldn't be so obvious."

"Well it wouldn't hurt to look. It's not like we have any other ideas, right?" Sara stood up and gathered her things. "I'll go and contact you guys if I find anything." Oliver nodded and watched her leave, turning back to Diggle.

"Somewhere underground maybe? Under a building-"

"Hold on a second. Look here, he had some deliveries made to this address. It looks like a vacant building, an old company that Queen Consolidated took out. That would make sense, right? Seems relevant-"

"It still doesn't feel right. None of this feels right! If Felicity were here she would know exactly what to look for-"

"Oliver, that doesn't help! We know that we need Felicity, and that's why we're going to find her, okay? I think maybe you should sit this one out for a while and clear your mind. You're falling apart, man." Diggle got out of the chair and approached his friend, firmly holding his shoulder and looking him straight in the eye. "We can do this, and Felicity knows that. Wherever she is I know she's waiting for us, and that thought is what is going to get her through this. So why don't we show up like she's expecting us to and save her. You've always come through for her when she's in danger, and she knows that." Diggle looked at Oliver's cloudy gaze with concern, pulling him into a short hug and patting him on the back. "Stop beating yourself up. There was no way we could have known that Slade even knew about her. You were protecting who you thought were going to be his targets and they're all safe. You can't protect everyone." Oliver looked down and nodded, moving towards the computers and sitting down in Felicity's chair. "I'm going to check out that building, okay? You never know." Diggle trailed off and stared at Oliver for a moment, noticing how defeated he looked. He sighed and turned to leave, hoping there would be something at that building that would get them closer to finding their girl.

Oliver placed his face in his hands, letting out a loud grunt as he quickly pushed himself away from the table and jumped up, breathing heavily as he pushed everything off the closest table. The loud crash almost covered the sound of someone speaking, but he grabbed his bow and loaded an arrow, turning to aim it in the direction of the voice.

"It doesn't seem like you're having much luck finding where I am. No worries though, Felicity and I have been bonding since we're both waiting for the same hero to show up. She won't say it, but I think she's a little disappointed, and I hate to see her hurt like that. So, I'm ready to make a deal." Oliver lowered his bow and approached the computer slowly, looking closely at the dark image of Slade and trying to recognize any of the surrounding features that may lead him to the location, but there was no need.

"I'll let you where we are on a few conditions. First, you come alone. Your two friends have no reason to get in the way, don't you agree? You will not contact the police either. Come tonight and we'll see if we can work something out for Ms. Smoak's safe return. As for you, I have no promises. I assume you'll agree to these terms, since they really are in your best interest. I plan to see you tonight." Slade then gave him an address and the screen went black, leaving Oliver completely alone in the quietness of his thoughts.

But there was no hesitation. Oliver walked straight to his Arrow suit and gathered his bow and arrows, checking the time on his watch anxiously. Slade hadn't shown him Felicity in the video so he wasn't sure the state she was in, but he knew he had to get to her soon. He feared all the things Slade might tell her that had happened on the island, and he hated the idea that Felicity would be trapped in the middle of it.

* * *

"Why would you tell him where you are? He wants to kill you, you know? And how can you be sure that Diggle and Sara won't come with him? They wouldn't let him go alone and you know it," she said, knowing that Oliver's friends would go to any length to ensure his safety. She watched Slade lean back in his chair completely unworried and it made her extremely nervous for what Oliver was about to get himself into.

"Mr. Diggle and Sara are currently on separate missions, so they won't even be aware of the need to intervene, and as you and I both know Oliver is very—impulsive. Actually, I have a feeling he's on his way here right now. You'll see him very soon." Slade smiled and put his hands together, barely rocking his chair back and forth with his feet while resting his chin on his hands.

"What are you going to do?" Felicity asked quietly, unsure of where she found the courage to talk to her kidnapper while also recognizing that she was too afraid to leave a silence between them. His demeanor quickly changed to a hard look and he pushed himself out of his chair, walking quickly past where Felicity sat.

"Whatever I have to."

**Sorry it took so long! Next chapter will be all about the Oliver/Slade/Felicity confrontation :) Hope you like it!**


	4. Chapter 4

He knew it was a trap, and he knew he didn't have the upper hand, but he was being impulsive because he couldn't imagine leaving Felicity alone for a moment longer; so instead of viewing it as a trap, he approached it more as a sacrifice. He wasn't there to avoid Slade, he was there to confront him, be it on Slade's terms if it must, but he wouldn't resist. Upon entering the abandoned building, he kept his bow raised and an arrow pulled tightly back, but he had no intention of using it. Without Felicity in sight he found himself expecting the quick blow to the head; falling unconscious was the price he had to pay to see her, and he knew it, and he accepted it.

His head was throbbing when he woke up, and his vision refused to remain steady, but he felt the cool concrete on his face and opened his eyes to the outline of a cage in which he rested.

"Oliver?" he heard a quiet voice ask, not too far away. "Oliver, wake up, please." He let out a groan as he pushed himself off the ground enough to turn his head, noticing that his cell was attached to another one and that someone sat pressed up against the bars, reaching her hand through.

"Felicity?" he asked, blinking and trying to move closer to the outstretched hand. He reached out and grabbed it, holding it tightly as he heard a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank you," she whispered, squeezing his hand and bringing it to her face.

"Felicity, are you okay? Has he hurt you? What has he done-"

"Nothing, don't worry. He said he wanted to wait for you before he did anything. Oliver, what is he going to do?"

"Nothing. I won't let him do anything, okay? I came here to save you and that's what I am going to do, so I promise you, he won't hurt you." Oliver pulled himself closer to the bars and removed his hand from Felicity's. He placed each hand on the side of her face and looked her in the eyes almost sternly, determined to chase away any fear that clouded them. A tear rolled down her face as she placed her hands around his wrists, closing her eyes and taking in a deep, shaky breath.

"I'm not worried about me, Oliver. He promised he wouldn't touch me. He said he was going to hurt you as much as he could before he killed you, and that I would have to stay to watch. When he comes back-" Felicity couldn't say another word as she began choking on her own sobs, quickly trying to catch her breath and slow it, but her cries turned into gasps.

"Felicity, shh, you're panicking. Look at me. Felicity!" Oliver tried to bring her face back so she would be looking at him but she continued to look in every other direction, her eyes wild and frantic. "FELICITY!" he yelled, forcefully turning her head so that their noses almost touched. "Breathe, please. Let me worry about that." He gently pushed some of the hair that had fallen from her ponytail back behind her ear, feeling relieved when she closed her eyes and her breathing returned to normal, leaning into his touch slightly and grasping his arms for stability.

"Please don't go." He felt guilty at this, knowing she didn't mean it as placing blame on him for leaving her alone, but at the same time realizing that it was a fear of hers that he could leave for some reason. He thought about how her role in his life had become underappreciated with the return of Sara, and he remembered her feelings for him and how this was the second time he was ignoring them as she saw him show affection to another woman. Felicity loved him, anyone could see that—even his mother had questioned how close the two were—and yet he jumped into a relationship with a woman who had caused him so much trouble. He couldn't quite pinpoint the reason he and Sara were together, besides the fact that they understood each other on a level no one else would be able to. But did he love her? Did she love him? It was much harder to say, and that made him uncomfortable.

Felicity lay down on her side, her back to Oliver as she tried to sleep for the first time since her capture. She was exhausted, something she had only come to realize with the presence of Oliver. She wasn't alone anymore; someone was watching over her. So she slept. She found it easy to fall asleep with Oliver sitting next to her, his hand moving over her hair to her shoulder, sliding down her arm until it intertwined with her hand and held it tightly. Oliver rested his head on the hard cage bars and dropped his act of confidence now that Felicity wasn't looking. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he was relieved that Slade had promised to leave Felicity alone. He even believed him, but at the same time it wasn't comforting knowing Felicity would have to watch him be tortured. She had never seem something like torture, especially towards someone she cared about, and as Oliver knew the horrors of it all too well, he knew it might hurt Felicity more emotionally than any physical harm could. But what he worried more for was when Felicity would have to watch him die, and whereas he had prepared for the possibility of this, he had figured it would be alone. Felicity's presence changed everything, and Oliver found a need to fight harder than ever before.

"Isn't this sweet? Has she already forgiven you for her abandonment? I'll say, you have quite the influence over women don't you? It seems more like deception, but influence nonetheless." The strained voice pulled Oliver to his feet, approaching the front of the cage and grasping the bars, his gaze challenging Slade's as the well-dressed man stood casually in front of him, hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. "You didn't put up much of a fight when you got here, and I know you've been trained better than that. It's sweet, though, you know. Surrender with no guarantee; a completely blind sacrifice. You have changed, I'm seeing that now." He paused a moment then walked away laughing, approaching a table with multiple metal objects laid out.

"Oliver, what's going on?" Felicity asked, standing and examining what Slade was doing. Oliver quickly moved to the back to try to distract her, but her eyes were already wide as she looked to him.

"No, no, no, Oliver it's too late. We were supposed to escape before—what are you going to do?"

"I need you to listen to me; it's extremely important that you listen, okay?" Felicity stopped talking and nodded. Oliver took both of her hands in his and pulled her closer so they could speak quietly. "No matter what happens, you stay in the back of here and you don't look, okay? Close your eyes and cover your ears and no matter what he says or does you stay there, understood? Do not look under any circumstance. Diggle and Sara will find you if anything happens, I have faith in them, but for now we're alone and I have to protect you. Slade isn't going to hurt you physically, but he's going to try to mess with your head. Do not listen-"

"Oliver, your time is up. I hope you have prepared Ms. Smoak for what is about to happen. I know you are accustomed to this type of treatment, but I hope you have prepared her, for I highly doubt she has ever seen any kind of suffering."

"Listen, look at me. Stay in the back, don't look, cover your ears-" Two men came around the corner and with Slade's order they opened the door to Oliver's cell, roughly grabbing his arms and pulling him away from Felicity.

"Don't look, no matter what, keep your eyes closed-"

"Oliver, I can't do this! Let go of him!" Felicity tried to hold on to any part of Oliver she could, but they pulled him away too quickly and bound his wrists with chain, leading him to Slade despite his attempts to pull away.

Slade observed the interaction between Oliver and Felicity, watching as she struggled to decide whether to listen to what Oliver said and turn away, or to stay there so he wouldn't feel alone. "Trust me," Slade taunted, watching Oliver's pained glance towards Felicity. "You can't protect her from this."

**Well there you go! Chapter 4 :) Hope it met expectations and I hope you guys stick around for what's coming up next!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Don't look, don't listen. Don't look, don't listen. There's no reason to worry, Diggle and Sara will break in any time now. Don't look, don't listen." Felicity sat with her eyes closed and her hands over her ears, chanting the same phrase over and over and sitting so her back was turned to where Slade and Oliver were. She hadn't heard anything yet that sounded like screaming, but she had heard what she believed to be surges of electricity, and she could only imagine what it was.

"The most painful part is holding it in, isn't it? So let go; make this a little easier for you." Oliver continued to bite down on his lip in his best attempt to remain silent despite the pain that ran through his body. Looking unsatisfied, Slade placed the electrified pole down and observed the red whelps that had formed on Oliver's side, turning his head slightly and then looking at Oliver. "Why? Why are you trying so hard?" Oliver looked over at Felicity who was hiding in the corner of the cell, her hands covering her ears while she mumbled inaudibly.

"How do I know you'll keep your promise? That you won't touch her? That you'll let her go? You have me now, so why is she still here?"

"Because we've only just begun, Oliver. But I am a man of my word, and I promise you," he lowered his voice as he got closer to Oliver's face. "The moment your heart stops beating, every door that needs to open so she may leave will open. But until then, it seems like we have plenty of time."

* * *

Sara entered the old building and looked around briefly, not convinced that it would lead her to anything. She had still come prepared, however, wearing her black Canary outfit and carrying her long staff so she would be ready for any type of surprise. After investigating the building and finding that there was no place Slade could be hiding Felicity, she started to leave. She got out her phone to call Oliver, but he didn't answer. She tried again and rolled her eyes when it went to voicemail. As she turned the corner, working to put her phone away, she ran into a darkly dressed man who immediately wrapped his arm around her neck and brought her to the ground. She tried to struggle but found that her vision was starting to fade. She looked down at her leg that had started to ache and noticed a syringe sticking out. The man let her head fall to the floor and started looking through his pockets. She moved her mouth as to speak but found herself unable to do so, but she kept her eyes on the man as he knelt beside her and placed a peace of paper on the floor.

"You're friends are at this address. I would hurry if I were you, but it seems like you need a quick rest first." He smiled and then was gone, Sara's eyes unwillingly closing as the drug flooded her system.

* * *

Diggle had looked through the whole building and had found no evidence of Felicity or Slade. Before he left, he noticed a flight of stairs that led downstairs and into a room he had not noticed before. He pulled out his gun and held it firmly in front of him, slowly descending until he found himself in what appeared to be a small storage room. He got out a small flashlight and held it directly above his gun, looking around the corners for a light switch.

"Felicity?" he whispered, making his way through a maze of shelves. When he reached the back of the room he faced a large metal box with a flashing red light. He looked around him quickly before lowering his gun and examining the box, unsure of what it contained.

"So this is what you had delivered, huh? I wonder what plans you have for this." Diggle ran his hand carefully over its edges until he heard something click and the red light went out. He quickly raised his gun as the light came back on, this time green. He stared at it for a moment, confounded, but the silence was broken when the metal covering of the machine abruptly shifted and a gas started spilling out. Diggle coughed and tried to wave the gas away, but the initial burst had been too direct and he was already feeling the effects. He wavered and lost his balance, falling to the ground hard. As he tried to pull himself away from the machine, two feet stepped in front of him and blocked his path. He squinted his watering eyes as he looked up, facing a man with a gas mask that covered his face.

"Here, looks like you could use some help. You'll find your friend at this address, but don't show up too early. That would be rude." The man laughed and placed a small piece of paper under Diggle's hand, stepping over him to turn the machine off. "You'll probably wake up in an hour or two. It will be interesting to see how things have progressed by then, but nevertheless you'll be too late. So really, what's the point?" The man walked away from Diggle, taking off the gas mask once he got to the door and throwing it back into the room. Diggle tried to crawl closer and reach out for it, but before he could even try to move closer his eyes closed and his body fell heavy with sleep.

* * *

"Don't look, don't listen. Don't look, don't listen…" Felicity stopped and let her hands fall from her ears, wondering why she still hadn't heard anything. She stood up and turned around, approaching the front of the cage. Oliver was sitting in a chair with his hands tied behind his back, his shirt missing and large, red whelps covering his whole side. His chin was resting on his chest and his breaths were so shallow it was hard to distinguish whether or not he was actually breathing.

"Oliver?" Felicity whispered, checking her surroundings to find that Slade was not there. "Oliver?" she tried again, her heart beating faster as he still didn't respond. "Oliver!" she screamed, holding onto the bars that left her unable to come closer to him.

"Ms. Smoak, patience. He just passed out—wasn't able to handle the intensity of the electricity." Slade emerged from a door hidden on the other side of the room, carrying a small bucket with him and smiling. "But I'm glad you're finally paying attention. That was the purpose of you being here, anyway. Don't worry, I'll wake him up." Slade moved in front of Oliver and dumped water from the bucket over his head, causing Oliver to jolt awake and gasp for air immediately.

"Oliver!" Felicity shouted, partially glad to see him alive while also realizing he had been safer unconscious. She couldn't force herself to move once he made eye contact with her, glad to see that his eyes did not reflect defeat. She was amazed by how strong he was. However, the connection was broken as Slade's fist forced Oliver to look the other way, keeping his head down after the impact and spitting out a small amount of blood. Felicity covered her mouth in an attempt to refrain from screaming, hoping her silence would keep from bringing Slade any kind of sadistic joy in what was taking place.

"A much harder hit than you're used to, right?"

"What do you really want Slade? This, whatever _this_ is, doesn't benefit anyone. It won't make you feel better, it won't make things right, and it's not what Shado-" Slade hit Oliver across the face once again, his features stern and his fists remaining clenched. This time Felicity let out a small scream, surprised by the sudden action.

"How dare you try to speak for her, as if you have had her best interest in heart when you chose Sara over her!"

"You can't keep holding this over me, Slade. I was put in a position where I didn't have a choice. I didn't ask for one or the other, and I couldn't protect them both." Slade was completely focused on Oliver now, and it seemed as if he had forgotten why Felicity was even there. Felicity stayed completely still as she watched the two men hold an intense gaze, neither one showing any sign of surrender.

Suddenly, Slade moved to behind the chair and removed the restraints from Oliver's wrists.

"Then let's finish this, Oliver. You and me, that's what it comes down to in the end. Fight me Oliver because one of us has to die."

"Slade, that's not how it has to-"

"You fight me to the death, or I swear I will kill her." He looked at Felicity then back to Oliver, approaching Oliver quickly as he stood up. "This seems like a much easier choice, especially since you have such trouble with making decisions. So what? Are you going to fight me, or am I going to kill the woman you love?"

"I say we end this."

**Let me know what you think and also if you have any suggestions or concerns. I plan for this story to just have like 4 or 5 more chapters, but we'll see how it goes. Thank you, I hope you enjoyed. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok, so I know it has been FOREVER since I updated. I am so sorry! I've been super busy, so I hurried as quickly as I could to upload this. Therefore, I hope there aren't many mistakes and I hope you guys enjoy this. I would probably say it is not my best writing because I'm really not good at writing like fight scenes, but obviously a fight scene was necessary, so I hope it is decent enough :)**

Oliver fell heavily against the metal bars in front of Felicity, grunting from the impact.

"Oliver, you don't have to do this. Get out of here, find Diggle and Sara; he won't kill me." Felicity grabbed the side of his arm desperately, holding onto the cloth of his sleeve, nervous that she couldn't see his face.

"That's not true, Felicity. He _will _kill you. I can't let that happen." Despite Felicity's protests Oliver pushed himself off the bars and came to face Slade once again, wincing as he felt the muscles in his back tighten.

"You don't look so good, and I've barely even touched you," Slade mocked, smiling as he rushed at him again and wrapped his arms around his waist, throwing him onto the ground. Oliver moaned and rolled onto his side, unable to avoid Slade's foot as it hit his side. Slade backed away and circled him, smiling and looking up to meet Felicity's crying eyes. "You have to understand, he deserves all of this really."

"You're wrong! He's a good person-" Felicity gasped when Slade suddenly was right in front of her, his hands grasping the bars and shaking them, but she refused to move away.

"A good person? And what has he done to make you think so? What, has he swooped in, rescued you a few times. Held you in his arms like he cared? But wait, I don't remember him being there when I took you. If memory serves me correctly, he was taking his destructive counterpart Sara to bed. Am I wrong? Oh, and what about in Russia when Oliver had his fun with Ms. Rochev? He claims he can't be with someone he cares about, like you, am I correct?" Felicity blinked her eyes quickly in embarrassment and wiped away new tears before they fell, averting her eyes away from Slade's omnipotent gaze. "Does he not care about Sara, or why is he spending all his nights with her instead of you?" There was a moment of silence in the room before Slade began shaking the bars again, causing Felicity to jump. "Is he really a good person, Ms. Smoak?"

"Leave her alone!" Oliver grabbed Slade's collar and pulled him back, throwing him across the room. Slade stumbled backwards but remained on his feet, relaxing at the sight of Oliver half bent over, holding his side and breathing heavily. Oliver quickly straightened up and ran back towards him, dodging his fist and finally landing a blow of his own across his face. He took advantage of the moment and refused to back off, punching him in the stomach and the side, then once against across the face. He made another move to hit him, but Slade caught Oliver's fist in his hand and quickly twisted it, hitting him in the face, which caused Oliver to hit the ground. He let out a brief scream and held his wrist close to his body, moving quickly around the metal table and sitting against it, out of sight. He breathed heavily and looked at his already swelling wrist, realizing that he was only prolonging the inevitable. He had to die for this to end. He couldn't keep fighting something so powerful and so corrupted. He looked quickly at Felicity who seemed to recognize the look in his eyes, shaking her head as more tears fell.

"Oliver, no. You don't have to do this-"

"Slade! I surrender." Oliver slowly stood up, wincing with every move. "I can't beat this."

"You're right, you can't. But I do have to admit, I'm surprised you actually gave up, and so soon." Felicity watched as Oliver slowly moved around the table back into the open, but she noticed that his foot remained behind the leg and looked as though it were dragging something.

"This isn't right. I didn't kill Shado—I didn't have a choice, and I wish you would believe me. Just end this now, Slade. Put it all behind you, move on. It's ruining your life-"

"It is! It _is_ ruining my life and it isn't fair that you get to continue living as if nothing happened!"

"That isn't true and you know it. There isn't a _day_ I don't replay what happened in my mind, wondering if there had been something I could have done, but I realize no matter what I did someone would have died. There was no right choice, Slade!" Oliver clenched his jaw and moved his arm to quickly dry his eyes. "I would have died for both of them, but he wouldn't let me. Please, let this be over with. Stop trying to blame someone—stop trying to make this right with more blood." Oliver studied Slade's face as it remained hard, unchanged by his words.

"It was your fault, boy, and you have to suffer." Slade quickly pulled a gun and pointed it in Oliver's direction, but at the same time Oliver kicked up his bow from under the table and pulled the string back.

"Drop it Slade."

"No. This is it, Oliver. Your final choice. You can't talk your way out of it, you can't find any other options. I ask that you choose wisely. You can leave now, take your little secretary with you, but I promise you this won't be over. You may leave here safely tonight, but tomorrow I will begin a new hunt, a new method of torture. I promise you as long as I'm alive I will torture you and everyone you love. Or, you can kill me, right here and end it all. But I promise you this, the moment that arrow flies so will my bullet. So what do you decide? Are you going to kill me? Can you face another day wondering whom you need to protect? Wondering if you are protecting the right person?" Oliver's eyes remained fixed on his target with unwavering concentration. He didn't make a move, and Felicity watched in wonder of what he was going to do. "Decide Oliver! Your indecision is going to kill people! I've given you the conditions! Leave here and I promise I will put an arrow through the heart of Thea, Sara, Diggle, Felicity-" An arrow and a bullet quickly passed each other, each with the desire to kill. The arrow plunged deeply into Slade's heart and a smile spread across his face as he looked down at the weapon that was to kill him, admiring the beauty of its simplicity. He looked at Oliver as he fell back, Oliver's hands still gripping the bow tightly, holding it beside his face. He dropped it on the floor and watched it fall slowly, making a loud noise upon impact. He looked at his own body and found it unharmed—no bullet hole.

"You missed?" he questioned, looking back at his fallen enemy in disbelief.

"Of course not, Oliver. I just had a different target in mind," Slade whispered, struggling to speak through the blood that began to enter his mouth.

"Oliver," Felicity whispered from behind him. He turned slowly and realized that she had been only slightly to his right, close enough that he had been unable to notice that Slade's gun was pointed more beside him than at him. Her hand was covering her left shoulder, but blood was beginning to escape the pressure from her hand as well, and it began to stain her lightly colored sweater in a haunting way. She looked from Oliver down to her shoulder, her eyes large and her breathing increasing rapidly.

"No, oh no." She gasped as she entered a state of shock, slowly stumbling to the metal bars and trying to support herself, but instead sliding down to the ground. Oliver frantically searched the nearby table for the key, moving then to Slade who was barely breathing and searching his pockets, finding the small key and rushing back to the cage door. His hands shook as he unlocked the door and ran inside, kneeling beside Felicity and holding her close to him, covering her hand with his own and trying to add more pressure to the wound.

"Shh, I need you to breathe. I have to slow the bleeding, then I'm going to get you to a hospital-" Felicity's head started to fall back as her eyes closed; Oliver grabbed her face and gently shook her. "Felicity, you have to stay awake. You have to stay with me." Her eyes fluttered open again, looking around as if she were unable to see. "I should have left, I should have gotten you out, made sure you were safe. I was being selfish! I'm sorry, Felicity, stay with me. I need you! No, I can't lose you! No, no, no—Felicity, please." Felicity shook her head and opened her eyes wider, noticing Oliver sitting over her and smiling faintly. She reached up her hand and touched the side of his face.

"I don't blame you, Oliver. This isn't your fault." Oliver couldn't believe that even as she lay there bleeding out, her instinct was to comfort him. He smiled in response, but his smile quickly faded as she passed out and became heavy against him. His body froze as he looked at her and he became panicked, trying to wrap his arms around her so he could carry her.

"Oliver, let me help!" Oliver looked up with tears trailed down his face, breathing in deeply when he saw Diggle coming up beside him.

"Diggle, he shot her-"

"I know, Oliver. Come on, help me get her up. Oliver, come on! She doesn't have much time, we have to go! Oliver!"

**Let me know what you are thinking! Hopefully the next update will be sooner :)**


	7. Chapter 7

"Put pressure there, she's losing a lot of blood." Oliver pressed down on her shoulder and bit his lip, noticing how badly his hands were shaking.

"Diggle, I can't keep the pressure-"

"It's fine, let me do it." Diggle's hands replaced Oliver's quickly as he scooted back, trying to keep out of the way.

"Should I call an ambulance?"

"No, it would be too hard to explain."

"Then do we need to do it ourselves?"

"She's lost too much blood. Her condition requires a hospital, I just don't know where we can take her without being questioned-"

"She's going to die," Slade whispered, coughing up more blood with each word. His voice was rougher than before and was barely audible.

"Shut him up," Oliver snapped, his attention focusing on Felicity's face as he monitored the color that was slowly draining from it. "There's a doctor there, he helped me before. Well, he helped the Arrow. I stopped some guys from cleaning out their drug supply and he said he would help me whenever-"

"You made the wrong choice, and now she has to pay."

"Shut up!" Oliver jumped up from the floor and knelt beside Slade, grabbing him by his shirt and pulling him slightly off the ground. "You're the only one here who is going to die, and it looks like you don't have much time left."

"She's going to die Oliver, and you will have to live with that for the rest of your life. Another poor choice, another innocent life-"

"It didn't have to end like this Slade. If you could have just forgiven me, no one had to get hurt-"

"Shado got hurt! Shado is dead because of you! Admit it, you let her die. It was your fault." Oliver looked over Slade's face for a moment then set him back on the ground, letting go of his shirt.

"You're right. It was my fault. It was all me-"

"What? Say it!"

"I'm the reason Shado is dead." Slade relaxed his body and smiled, looking up at the ceiling and then beside him.

"You hear that? It was his fault. He finally admits it. He's the reason you're dead. He's the reason we're both dead." Oliver stood up and watched Slade breathe his last breath, smiling at the thought of Shado lingering beside him.

"Oliver, we have to move now." Oliver quickly returned to Diggle's side, slipping his arms underneath Felicity's knees and her shoulders and picking her up, holding her close so he could continue to put pressure on her shoulder.

"I've got her, just make sure he's really dead this time." Diggle nodded and they parted ways, Oliver placing his chin on Felicity's head as he rushed her to the hospital.

* * *

"Why aren't you at the hospital?" Sara asked, walking into the quiet lair and approaching Oliver. He sat in Felicity's chair and stared blankly ahead, for a moment not even responding to Sara's presence.

"Diggle told me he was attacked. I assume the same happened to you? Are you okay?" Oliver's voice remained flat and he didn't stop staring at the wall, something Sara took notice of. She realized his mind was every place but there with her in that moment.

"Yeah, some guy in a mask—maybe one of Slade's super soldiers, or maybe Sebastian Blood? We can look more into that later; what's going on with Felicity? And like I asked earlier, why aren't you at the hospital? Is she going to be okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. The doctor said she'd be fine. She lost a lot of blood and probably won't be herself for awhile, but she's going to be fine."

"And you?" Sara leaned against the table in front of him and tried to look into his eyes, but they were guarded and she knew he wouldn't really let anyone back in for awhile.

"It doesn't matter. Slade is dead, everyone is safe. Isn't that what we wanted?"

"Is that what you wanted?"

"I wish you would stop asking me those questions!" Oliver pushed himself out of his chair and moved to the other side of the room, turning his back to her. "It doesn't matter. Felicity is in the hospital because I thought he had to die. He gave me a choice, and I chose to endanger her."

"Oliver, it's not like that, and if I know Felicity I'd say she would have wanted you to end the threat when you had the chance. She's going to be fine, and now it's over-"

"But what if it hadn't been fine? What if she had died?" Oliver moved his hands over his head in frustration and sighed. "I don't know what I would have done."

"You love her," Sara stated plainly as if she had known for a while. Oliver quickly turned his head and fully faced her, reaching her in a few strides and holding her face in his hands.

"Sara, I'm with you-"

"It's not the same. I've come to realize something, Oliver, something that I didn't want to think about when we got back together, but it has to be said. We're comfortable with each other because we both were on that island and we both understand something we won't let anyone else be a part of. This, it's easy, but it's not right. Together, we're reckless and we're destructive. I'm not what you need."

"Sara, stop-"

"No, I have to finish. As long as we're together, we're still on that island. Every time we see each others scars we remember something—and it's all bad. Oliver, we have to let go and we have to be with people who don't remind us of our past but who represent a better future. For you, that's Felicity. I'm leaving tonight because I need to find someone like that, and I'm not going to find that here. I'm not leaving forever—I'll be back. But right now, we have to get away from each other, and with Slade's death, now is the perfect time." Sara quickly wiped away a tear and then kissed Oliver, moving away as he dropped his hands from her face, unable to respond. "Go to her, Oliver. She's going to need you when she wakes up." Sara turned and left without looking back, leaving Oliver stunned yet understanding as he came to accept the truth in her words, things he had thought about before but had never allowed himself to truly consider. He felt guilty when he began to feel relieved, realizing the weight of Sara's association with his past, and more importantly, the island.

**Not too long, I know, but it now frees Oliver to finally be with Felicity! Which, comes in the next chapter :D I'm excited to write the next chapter because I'm going to start wrapping things up as we come near the end. More importantly though, next chapter is ALL about Oliver and Felicity, which will be very fun! As always, comment if you'd like and stick around for what's coming up. **


	8. Chapter 8

**I didn't realize it until just now, but this is where it ends! This is the final chapter!**

She was awake. She was smiling and laughing and she was alive. Oliver leaned against the door frame for a moment and enjoyed the sight of Felicity being okay.

"Hey," Felicity greeted, tucking her hair behind her ears and smiling. Diggle got up from his chair and patted Felicity's leg, walking out the door but stopping for a moment to smile at Oliver and touch his arm, nodding and moving past him.

"Bye Felicity! Good to have you back!"

"Thanks, Diggle!" Felicity began to feel uneasy as the recipient of Oliver's intense gaze. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she said a word Oliver was across the room, bending over and pulling Felicity into a tight hug. She hesitated for a moment out of shock but then moved her arm so it went under his and her hand grabbed the back of his shoulder. They needed this contact—a feeling of security and hope, something they thought they had lost.

"Oliver, my shoulder-" Felicity whispered, hating to ruin the moment.

"Right, I'm sorry." Oliver quickly moved back, noticing for the first time that her arm was in a sling. "So how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. A little light headed, but it's not like I haven't been shot before, you know?" Oliver looked at her and shook his head smiling. "My second scar." She sounded so proud of her new battle wound, handling the whole situation must better than Oliver was expecting. Then again, it was Felicity, and nothing seemed to be able to get her down for long. Felicity moved her legs over and offered Oliver a place to sit on the edge of the bed. "So is he, you know, dead?" she asked the moment he sat down. He quietly nodded his head, watching as Felicity processed it all. She took a deep breath that became shaky towards the end, her eyes looking around the room then falling back on Oliver. "So it's over then?"

"For the most part, yeah. We've still got to deal with some of the people who were helping Slade out, but the worst is definitely behind us. Hey, hey-" Oliver moved his hand to the side of Felicity's face as she started to cry, wiping away the first tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm just extremely relieved. He was _really_ crazy, and I honestly didn't know what we were going to do. But like always, you pulled through. Have I thanked you yet for saving my life for like the hundredth time?" Oliver's hand dropped from Felicity's cheek and he shook his head.

"He wouldn't have taken you if I had been-"

"Stop! Don't do that!" She hit his arm and frowned at him, her sudden action leaving him with a look of disbelief on his face as he touched the place she hit him. "I know you're like a superhero and all, but even though sometimes I even question this, you are only human and you can't protect everyone. But you do always save them, just like you saved the whole city and you saved me." They sat in silence for a moment until Oliver's phone rang and he looked at the I.D., motioning that he needed to leave.

"Yeah, of course, go." Oliver grabbed his coat and started to leave, stopping and taking a step backwards before he walked out the door.

"When do you get to leave?"

"Tomorrow, maybe. Hopefully."

"Well then I'll be here to drive you home. Get some rest, Felicity." Oliver answered his phone as he left, Felicity listening to his footsteps until they disappeared.

"I'll try."

* * *

Oliver opened the door for Felicity as she entered her apartment. He stood in the doorway for a moment until she noticed his hesitation, motioning for him to come in.

"Come on, I'll make some coffee." He walked in and closed the door, looking around the apartment and immediately believing it belonged to Felicity Smoak. She had walked into the kitchen while he walked around taking in his surroundings, noticing the lack of pictures and remembering what Felicity said about her family. It made the apartment feel lonely, but then he came upon a picture of Felicity, Diggle, and himself. As he picked it up and looked at how happy they had been in that moment, he realized the importance of that relationship in Felicity's life, and again he felt guilty that he had left her alone when she truly had no one else.

"Here you go." Oliver turned around and took a mug from Felicity, thanking her and following her to the couch.

"I hope my place isn't too embarrassing. I actually don't spend a lot of time here, as you can imagine."

"No, it's nice. Comfortable." Oliver took a drink of his coffee and then set it on the table, turning toward Felicity who was watching him.

"Sorry, not trying to stare. It's just strange, you being _here_."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No, no! I'd actually prefer to not be alone for awhile, if you don't mind." She sat back against the couch, wincing with the movement of her shoulder.

"You okay?" Oliver asked, trying to help keep her shoulder up before it rested against the cushion.

"Yeah, it's fine. Speaking of being okay, though, how are you? I know we didn't get to talk about it earlier, but I know Slade used to be a friend of yours and I know you were hoping to find another way to stop him."

"I'm not happy that I killed him, but there was no other way. If I had had the cure, I know this time I would have used it, but we didn't have one. Anyway, the Slade that used to be my friend was never coming back. With or without the cure he was tortured, and I honestly think he wanted to die. A man like him that wants to die is going to find a way, and I proved to be his way." Felicity nodded in agreement, remembering how Slade acted when fighting Oliver. He could have won the fight easily, and he could have killed Oliver, but that wasn't what he wanted. In the end, he wanted to be with Shado, and to be with her, to him, meant death.

"And how is Sara? I haven't seen her."

"She left. It was for the best though. She was right, we're not good for each other and as long as we're together we're going to constantly be reminded of that island. I need to be with someone that came into my life after the island, after I had changed for the better, because that's how I want to be looked at." Again, Felicity nodded in understanding but suddenly found a new tension between her and Oliver, one that made her excited, but also nervous.

"Looks like you need some more coffee," she said anxiously, standing up and taking the mug from the table.

"Felicity." Oliver reached out and took the mug from her hand, placing it back on the table. "I've taken one drink." He stepped closer to her so their bodies almost touched, this time Felicity refusing to move. He held her face with both hands and looked into her eyes, smiling a genuine smile she hadn't seen in awhile.

"You always remind me to be the best version of myself. You keep me calm and hopeful and I trust you. Almost losing you showed me that pushing you away didn't help but made things worse. So I figure now there's no reason to not be honest with you. Felicity, I love you." Felicity opened her mouth and then quickly closed it, obviously struggling to come up with what to say. "I'm sorry, I know you just got out of the hospital and you've been through a lot, I just needed to tell you."

"No, it's not that. I just feel like my feelings for you haven't really been well hidden, but to hear you say that—I mean, I always knew you cared for me, but I never actually thought you would feel _that_ way—what I'm saying is that I don't really seem to fit your 'type,' so I'm surprised—a pleasant surprise-"

"Felicity!"

"Yes?"

"Stop talking." Oliver leaned in and kissed her, one hand moving from her face to her back, pushing her closer to him.

"I have to admit, I've been thinking about something like that for a really long time now, but never—maybe I should stop talking again?" Oliver nodded earnestly and closed the distance between them once again, holding the back of her head as he kissed her lips slowly, the pace quickening as she moved to her tiptoes and her hand moved onto the back of his head and into his hair. They stopped a moment to catch their breath, both of them overwhelmed by everything that had happened. As they looked into each others' eyes, Oliver finally felt as if he had made the right choice, and he was confident that he was now protecting the right woman—the one who meant the most to him. He was certain he would sleep better now that he could stay beside her, and Felicity slept better that night now that she was the one in Oliver Queen's arms instead of knowing he was with someone else.

Slade, misguided by grief and hatred, had done the opposite of what he had promised Oliver. Instead of taking away everything he loved, in reality he had brought him closer to it as that night he slept beside the woman he truly loved.

**And that's how it concludes. I hope you guys enjoyed my story, and please review to let me know what you think about it overall. Personally, I really like how the season finale played out, and of course I think it was better that Oliver didn't kill Slade. Although Felicity and Oliver didn't get together yet, I still really liked how they worked together. Anyway, this story was just a scenario that obviously didn't happen, but I hope it proved to be a fun read!**


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